Sir Sandford Fleming Park
Encyclopedia
Sir Sandford Fleming Park, known locally as The Dingle Park (Dingle
is an Irish village), is a 95 acres (38.4 ha) urban park located in the Halifax Regional Municipality
in the subdivision
of Jollimore
, Canada
.
Designed by Sidney Perry Dumaresq (architect), The Memorial Tower (Dingle Tower) (1910-12) in Sir Sandford Fleming Park stands out as a rare form of architectural expression in this period of rising Canadian nationalism and fervent loyalty to the British Empire. The Memorial Tower is architecturally important because it combines Italianate influences with local construction methods and materials. The tower commemorates Nova Scotia achieving representative government on 2 October 1758, the first colony in the British Empire to do so.
The Memorial Tower was completed in 1912, a number of years after the building of the commemorative Cabot Tower (Newfoundland)
(1900) and the Cabot Tower, Bristol (1898).
Sir Sandford Fleming
- famous for introducing standard time
to North America - established a summer retreat on the property fronting the Northwest Arm
, part of Halifax Harbour
, during the 1880s after finishing construction of the Intercolonial Railway. He called it the "Dingle", meaning 'wooded valley'.
; the province having been the first colony in the British Empire
outside the United Kingdom
to have such a form of government.
An ardent imperialist, Fleming also intended the proposed tower to serve as a memorial to the development of parliamentary institutions in the British Empire, now the Commonwealth. The plan was accepted by the City of Halifax and the local Canadian Club undertook a fundraising drive to raise money for construction. Donations were received from throughout the British Empire and plaques commemorating the contributions, as well as stones from all of the countries of the Empire were placed on the interior walls.
The ten-storey stone "Dingle Memorial Tower" was formally dedicated in an impressive ceremony in August 1912 by Canada's Governor General
the Duke of Connaught
who was Queen Victoria
's son Prince Arthur
. The presence of members of the Royal Family and dignitaries from other parts of the Empire emphasized the importance of the occasion.
Two large bronze
lions at the foot of the tower were donated by the Royal Colonial Institute of London in 1913. They were designed by British sculptor, Albert Bruce-Joy and are similar to Sir Edwin Landseer's lions at Nelson's Column
in Trafalgar Square
.
The park contains two walking trails passing through forests, heath barrens, saltwater marsh, and a frog pond. As well, the park also hosts a small sandy beach.
The water quality of the beach has been a long, contentious issue due to decades of raw sewage and pollution dumped into the harbour. However, recent reports suggest that the water may be safe to swim in, and further tests are currently in progress. On August 1, 2008, the Dingle beach was opened to the public, however, it was closed once more after the new sewage treatment facility went offline in January 2009. Swimmers should check the municipality's website, and note that users should not swim at the Dingle beach for three days after heavy rainfall.
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
is an Irish village), is a 95 acres (38.4 ha) urban park located in the Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
in the subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
of Jollimore
Jollimore, Halifax
Jollimore is a Residential subdivision in Armdale on Mainland Halifax within the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia on the shore of the Northwest Arm in Halifax Harbour.-References:*...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Designed by Sidney Perry Dumaresq (architect), The Memorial Tower (Dingle Tower) (1910-12) in Sir Sandford Fleming Park stands out as a rare form of architectural expression in this period of rising Canadian nationalism and fervent loyalty to the British Empire. The Memorial Tower is architecturally important because it combines Italianate influences with local construction methods and materials. The tower commemorates Nova Scotia achieving representative government on 2 October 1758, the first colony in the British Empire to do so.
The Memorial Tower was completed in 1912, a number of years after the building of the commemorative Cabot Tower (Newfoundland)
Cabot Tower (Newfoundland)
Cabot Tower is a tower in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, situated on Signal Hill. Construction of tower begun in 1898 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland, and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee....
(1900) and the Cabot Tower, Bristol (1898).
Summer retreat
Sandford Fleming
Sir Sandford Fleming, was a Scottish-born Canadian engineer and inventor, proposed worldwide standard time zones, designed Canada's first postage stamp, a huge body of surveying and map making, engineering much of the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was a founding...
- famous for introducing standard time
Standard time
Standard time is the result of synchronizing clocks in different geographical locations within a time zone to the same time rather than using the local meridian as in local mean time or solar time. Historically, this helped in the process of weather forecasting and train travel. The concept...
to North America - established a summer retreat on the property fronting the Northwest Arm
Northwest Arm
The Northwest Arm, originally named Sandwich River, is an inlet in eastern Canada off the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.-Geography:...
, part of Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
, during the 1880s after finishing construction of the Intercolonial Railway. He called it the "Dingle", meaning 'wooded valley'.
Dingle Tower
In 1908, Fleming donated the property to the citizens of Halifax for use as a park and proposed the construction of a tower within the "Dingle" to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of representative government in Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
; the province having been the first colony in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
outside the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to have such a form of government.
An ardent imperialist, Fleming also intended the proposed tower to serve as a memorial to the development of parliamentary institutions in the British Empire, now the Commonwealth. The plan was accepted by the City of Halifax and the local Canadian Club undertook a fundraising drive to raise money for construction. Donations were received from throughout the British Empire and plaques commemorating the contributions, as well as stones from all of the countries of the Empire were placed on the interior walls.
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
the Duke of Connaught
Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
The title Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was granted by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur....
who was Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's son Prince Arthur
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
. The presence of members of the Royal Family and dignitaries from other parts of the Empire emphasized the importance of the occasion.
Two large bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
lions at the foot of the tower were donated by the Royal Colonial Institute of London in 1913. They were designed by British sculptor, Albert Bruce-Joy and are similar to Sir Edwin Landseer's lions at Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by William Railton at a cost of £47,000. It is a column of the Corinthian...
in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
.
Present-day park
The Dingle Memorial Tower is open to the public in the summer months and offers spectacular views of the city and Northwest Arm.The park contains two walking trails passing through forests, heath barrens, saltwater marsh, and a frog pond. As well, the park also hosts a small sandy beach.
The water quality of the beach has been a long, contentious issue due to decades of raw sewage and pollution dumped into the harbour. However, recent reports suggest that the water may be safe to swim in, and further tests are currently in progress. On August 1, 2008, the Dingle beach was opened to the public, however, it was closed once more after the new sewage treatment facility went offline in January 2009. Swimmers should check the municipality's website, and note that users should not swim at the Dingle beach for three days after heavy rainfall.
See also
- Halifax HarbourHalifax HarbourHalifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
- Halifax Regional Municipality
- Sir Sandford FlemingSandford FlemingSir Sandford Fleming, was a Scottish-born Canadian engineer and inventor, proposed worldwide standard time zones, designed Canada's first postage stamp, a huge body of surveying and map making, engineering much of the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was a founding...